FLIGHT REVIEW: Delta Air Lines Business Class (Boeing 737-800)

The Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 that carried me from San Juan to New York.

BY MARK CHESNUT

I recently achieved Silver Medallion status with Delta Air Lines for the first time, so I was pleased to find that I would get an upgrade on my very next flight. Here is my experience.

THE TRIP: San Juan, Puerto Rico, to New York City/John F. Kennedy International Airport (3 hours, 37 minutes — a bit longer than usual because of a flight routing designed to avoid bad weather on the east coast)

The Delta Air Lines ticket counter at the San Juan airport in Puerto Rico.

THE DEPARTURE: Airport check-in was fast, with no lines for any class of service at the Delta counter. I was also surprised that there were no people waiting at the security checkpoint (a big difference from the longer line just one concourse away).

The B concourse at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is ample and clean, but since it’s underutilized (our flight was the only one departing, and we were there for nearly two hours), most vendors were closed — so if you need shopping and food and want more options, allow time to walk one concourse over.

Business class seat on the Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800.

THE PLANE: The business-class seats had ample pocket storage. Each seat was furnished with a pillow and a plastic-wrapped red blanket, as well as a small bottle of water and plastic-wrapped headphones.

Business class video screen on the Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800.

THE SERVICE: The very attentive flight attendant introduced herself, called me by name, and served drinks before pull back from the gate. I personally love Delta’s safety video (the flight attendant has a great personality and presence) but I’m not a fan of the blaring commercials that played on the screens and loudspeakers as the aircraft taxied, beseeching us to drive Lincolns and Mazdas and to stay at Westin hotels. Inflight entertainment was on overhead screens (the movie “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”).

Airline meals: Tasty airline food served in business class on Delta Air Lines from Puerto Rico.

The flight attendant distributed hot towels before dinner, for which we had a choice of two airline meals: Fettuccini with broccoli, carrots, tomato sauce and cheese, or breast of chicken with mashed potatoes, baby carrots and a salad, accompanied by warm rolls that the flight attendant served from a basket. The chicken was tender and actually rather good, although for me the mashed potatoes were the tastiest part of airline dinner. Dessert was an apple pie-style creation. A second round of drinks were served after dinner.

About the Author

Mark Chesnut The founder and editor of LatinFlyer.com, Mark has more than 15 years of experience as a writer, editor and manager. He's worked with some of the biggest consumer, in-flight and travel trade publishers that cover Latin America.